The Singe / Burning Method Against Split Ends

[Cailie]

I though this post might be more interesting to start a specific thread on this method of hair care. We could share knowledge, findings and experiences about it, and if some adventurous people would like to try and report back to us, that would be fantastic.

Here is my own summary of my intensive readings on the subject

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You know how people first reacted about Wo and So, well, this method received the exact same kind of "no way" attitude on a French natural long-hair forum I sometimes visit.

The interesting thing, is that like the Wo and the So threads here, this is now a HUGE thread, with more and more people trying it (even the most sceptics, apprently). I haven't, and I don't plan to, but the results seem quite good from the last dozen of pages of discussion !

This is what I understood of the rationale behind the burning method and it's advantages :


It's ridiculous, hair is HIGHLY flammable !

You are right, but when twisted correctly (no air), the fire actually dies right away (in less than a second), only burning / melting the ends (meaning "cauterizing") of the few hair sticking out

Hair is dammaged by heat !

Right too. But this method actually doesn't "cook" or "heat" the hair shaft at all, as the fire melts end of hair and then in micro-seconds dies off. Think of passing your finger quickly in a candle fire : you don't really feel the heat, because it's so fast.


Why risk playing with fire when you can use regular cissors to trimm ?

The difference, from what I understood from long-time & long-hair users of this method on the board, is that the hair TIP is "melted" (the fire doesn't even need to touch it for this to happen), which is a form of cauterization. From their tests, split ends do not reappear on those cauterized ends, which means a lot less need for trimming over time.

Freshly cut ends exposes the cortex, and this leads (as you know, over time) to some protein loss and eventual damage / splits (the reason why we often "freshen" the ends with a trimm or dusting). And the same reason why we trimm with a right angle instead of in a diagonal (wanting to expose less cortex)

The advantage reported for "melting" the hair tips is that this fragility of the ends doesn't happen : the end becomes strongger (imagine a kind of scar instead of an open wound) and splits take a much longer time to reappear.

Another advantage often said is that it's used to minimise damage occuring higher than the hemline and that are harder to trimm because everywhere (this lets them, these shorter hair, be able to join the others without getting splits until they reach the hemline)



What are the downfalls ?

- the smell
- it's scary at first
- must reseach well before attempting, to do it correctly !
- never try on hair that has been oiled !
- must be followed with a shampoo to get the little burn parts out and the smell
- and followed with a deep conditionner
- it will cauterize (= reduce lenght) all hair sticking out, not only the ones already split (which is a good or bad thing, depending on what side you look at it)



Like I said, I never tried myself.

But I always get curious when a method starts with posts saying "this method is a SCANDAL!" ... but the thread makes hundred of pages, and at the end, people say they tried, will try, loved it, will never trimm and will keep using this method, share experiences (and they have amazing hair pictures to show no destruction occured over the years). I am still very curious about it !

[embee]

I'm watching this thread. I never really read about this method anywhere that I recall, though it sounds familiar. Being (currently) a SO person, it would not work well for me as there's no washing with SO. But I'd love to see what others have experienced.

[Muse]

I also remember now that I wasn’t allowed to wash my hair the days before the singeing.

[Cailie]

((edit : see post #31 for another video - more accurate - that was made by people from a hair care forum))

A visual of the method : http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3v...ge-longue_news

(it DOES look very scary, I warn you !)

Some people argue on the forum that the hair should not be "fingered back" like the woman does in the video, because this leads to hair being burned that really didn't need to.

Others say a small lighter is less scary and more precisely controled than a candle with a big flame (even though a lighter does heat up and you might need to make pauses for your fingers !)

Still imperfect, the video shows how the hair doesn't blow up in flames (even with this huge candle)


Note that all the little black burnt parts do go away with washing / combing the hair !

[Madora]

Mr. Michael states in his book that "singeing is extremely devastating to the hair cells and in addition, it's literally impossible to guarantee that you will only treat the particular split end. Realistically, this controlled burning always involves the innocent neighbor next to it which is beautifully healthy". (pg. 119 George Michael's Secrets for Beautiful Hair, 1982, Doubleday).

[Cailie]

Mr. Michael states in his book that "singeing is extremely devastating to the hair cells and in addition, it's literally impossible to guarantee that you will only treat the particular split end. Realistically, this controlled burning always involves the innocent neighbor next to it which is beautifully healthy". (pg. 119 George Michael's Secrets for Beautiful Hair, 1982, Doubleday).

I agree completely with the second part, of course healthy shorter hair will be reduced in lenght with the damaged ones.

As for the first part, I know this is what some autors / hair salons / beauty compagnies say, but the experiences I have read about, it really make me doubt this is really "true".
This as been (and is still) a "beauty" method for long healthy "smooth" hair in many parts of the world (Africa, Asia, Europe)...

There is mixed opinions about if it's good or bad for hair. This is why I get so curious

[spidermom]

I could see touching the split ends with a flame but not undamaged hairs, some of which will be new hairs that have never been trimmed.

And yes Cailie - the video was scarey indeed.

I'm not interested in NW/SO either.

[Cailie]

Maybe I could test a strand of my front hair (slowly growing out my long bangs) - burning the end only and not up the shaft - and then compare the growing of the strand that is burnt to the rest of my bangs ...

if it's a dissaster and I get more splits on the small strand, I trimm the ends and no worries ...

[enfys]

That seems to be burning a few inches off the ends of hairs, most of which would be healthy, tapered ends (in my case at least).

Having now seen it I can certainly say that's not for me.

[jesis]

Omg.